WAHINE BASKETBALL
Bolla secures letters of intent from 3
Hawaii women's basketball coach Jim Bolla has received signed national letters of intent from Leilani Galdones, Dita Liepkalne and Megan Tinnin
"These are three girls we targeted early and we're glad to have signed them," Bolla said. "They give us added size and athleticism and they all fit into our up-tempo style. I'm really pleased with the start of this year's recruiting class.
Galdones, a 5-foot-6 guard, led Kamehameha-Hawaii to the 2005 HHSAA Division II state basketball championship last season. A two-year starter for the Lady Warriors, she averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 blocked shots per game for a squad that finished 22-5 overall.
Galdones is a two-time All-Big Island Interscholastic Federation pick and was named a Star-Bulletin All-State honorable mention as a junior last season. She also earned a spot on the state championship all-tournament team.
Liepkalne, a 6-1 forward, is a native of Latvia who is currently attending Fort Worth Christian Academy in Texas.
She came to the United States in 2004 and last season attended Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colo. While at Regis Jesuit, she averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds and led the school to the Class 4A state semifinals and an eventual third-place finish.
Liepkalne earned all-league mention as her squad finished 20-5. Last summer she was a member of the Latvian Junior National Team that finished third in the Under-18 European Championships.
Tinnin, a 5-10 wing player from Albuquerque, N.M., has been a three-year starter for St. Pius X High School. She has led her squad to three consecutive district titles and two straight spots in the Class 4A state semifinals.
Last year, she averaged 16.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 steals as St. Pius X finished 22-7 overall. She was named to the Albuquerque Tribune's All-Metro first team and finished as the Class 4A leader in rebounds.
UH has three more scholarships available for next season. The 2005-06 Rainbow Wahine roster currently has 12 scholarship players, made up of three seniors, seven juniors and two sophomores.